


Apology

by RoyallyJeleanor



Category: The Royals (TV 2015)
Genre: F/M, Jaspenor - Freeform, Jeleanor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-18
Updated: 2016-01-18
Packaged: 2018-07-18 04:32:24
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,022
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7299685
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RoyallyJeleanor/pseuds/RoyallyJeleanor
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompt: Imagine that Jasper’s apology at the beginning of 2x07 was real and not just a dream.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Apology

**Author's Note:**

> Situation: Following on from Eleanor and Liam’s birthday party in 2x06.

Jasper let out another long, shaky breath as he continued pacing backwards and forwards in front of the door, trying to shake off his nerves and the sickly feeling that had settled in his stomach hours ago. He knew he needed to do this but he couldn’t seem to find the words – everything he thought of to say seemed insufficient.

Shaking his hands out before him to try and rid them of some of their clamminess, Jasper paused in front of the door, raising his fist ready to knock. _Come on, you can do this,_ he urged himself before hammering heavily on the door. He didn’t wait for a response, knowing that if he waited he would lose his nerve.

Eleanor swung her head around to face her doors at the sound of them opening. She had vaguely been aware of the knocking but had not been able to find the energy to respond, hoping that her visitor would just leave. However, as she turned to face the man who had walked into her room she felt her heart rate spike, a shiver of apprehension rushing down her spine. At least she tried to convince herself that was what it was.

She hadn’t expected to ever see Jasper Frost again after he had left her standing alone in the tunnels to follow Mandy or Samantha or whatever her real name was. When Samantha had asked Jasper if he was going with her Eleanor had found herself hoping desperately that he wouldn’t, a feeling that had surprised her considering how upset and angry she had been with him. When he had moved to follow her Eleanor had felt as if the floor had just fallen from beneath her and she was surprised that she had managed to stay standing and to make her way back inside the palace.

She had sat for what felt like hours in one of the bumper cars in the hall, her clothes soaked through to her skin and her hair damp. She hadn’t known what to do but for some reason it had calmed her to sit in the abandoned party venue, staring at the area where a happy scene had taken place a few hours ago. However, the previous joyous laughter had been replaced with sombre, emotional music which had ripped through her, almost as if it had the power to tear her apart with its words of broken relationships and fading love.

You’ll get through this, she tried to repeat to herself, this is just another shitty day in a long line of many. Just another person who has betrayed your trust. However, she knew as she thought those words that they weren’t true. Yes Jasper had betrayed her but with him it seemed like so much more. She found that she wasn’t even as bothered by Mandy’s involvement as she knew she should have been, at least she had done her part quickly and hadn’t pretended to feel any guilt. Unlike Jasper, whose despair filled eyes were now tormenting her. No, Jasper hadn’t just betrayed her but it felt like he had somehow broken her. He’s shattered her heart as well as her trust.

It wasn’t until the shivering had become uncontrollable that Eleanor had finally dragged herself to her room to try and warm up. However once she had got there she’d been too tired to even attempt to change, instead rubbing a towel lightly over her hair and curling up on her couch, her chin resting on her knees. She’d tried in vain to wipe the mascara away from under her eyes but it had had little effect. She knew she looked terrible but the pain in her chest was consuming all of her attention.

Now as she stared at Jasper she felt the pain roar to life, as if it was a physical force trying to break out of her ribcage.

Jasper took a few steps into the room before he stopped dead in his tracks as Eleanor’s wounded eyes met his. The despair evident on his face nearly knocked him to his knees and he found that the words he wanted to speak were now lodged in his throat.

‘Eleanor, there is only you. I'm here because of you. Not diamonds or some other girl, none of that has power over me now. Only you.’ Jasper watched as Eleanor unfurled from her position and rose to face him, managing to make the move appear graceful despite her inner turmoil. When she didn’t respond Jasper took a deep breath before continuing in a shaky voice.

‘I wish I could go back and do everything differently. Eleanor I am so god damn sorry, please… please forgive me.’ The words were barely out of his mouth before he felt the sharp slap of Eleanor’s small hand across his face. For a second he stood shocked, but then he realised he should have expected her reaction. Facing her again he saw the smudge of her makeup and the moisture in her eyes, his heart constricting at the thought that she had cried over something he had done.

But, Jasper didn’t have much time to focus on her face because before he knew it her hand had smacked across his face again. This time though it took him less time to straighten up and he was ready as her hand rose again. He managed to grip her hand in his lightly before she could hit him again.

Eleanor felt her skin spark as Jasper’s hand made contact with hers, freezing her in place. She didn’t know what had come over her but she had felt the sudden urge to hurt him, like she was hurting now, but she knew that physical pain wasn’t the same.

‘How could you lie to me like that?’ she asked through gritted teeth, trying desperately to keep the tears at bay.

‘I didn’t think it would come to this,’ Jasper whispered. ‘I didn’t want to go through with the plan and I wasn’t going to. And then Samantha arrived and she was determined to see it through.’

‘Why didn’t you tell me?’ she asked in a voice that was half desperation, half fury. ‘If you really changed your mind why didn’t you tell me?’

Jasper paused, knowing that he had no answer to her question that was good enough. ‘Because,’ he began before sighing heavily, ‘because I was scared. I was scared of your reaction,’ he told her in a quiet voice, struggling to meet her gaze for fear of the disgust he would see in her eyes.

After a few moments he heard Eleanor scoff, ‘scared?’ she asked in a mocking tone. ‘Clearly Jasper Frost, if that’s even your real name, isn’t scared of anything if he’s decided to spend his life being a con man and a thief.’ She’d almost forgotten that his hand was still wrapped around hers and she quickly jerked out of his gasp.

Jasper felt the sting of her words more harshly than the sting of her hand. ‘I’ll admit that I didn’t used to be scared of anything. When I first got this job I was fearless, I didn’t care what happened or who I hurt so long as I achieved my goal and got the diamond,’ he replied honestly. When Eleanor shook her head at him and was about to speak again he interrupted, needing to say his piece. ‘But then I met you.’

Eleanor felt her head snap up as she heard his softly spoken words, the sincerity hitting her immediately. ‘As soon as I met you everything changed. I made up the blackmail plot so that I could stay in the palace and so that I could put my plan into action but once I got to know you my focus changed. Within a week my thoughts were filled with you, there wasn’t room for anything else. I didn’t care about jewels or money, I became invested in getting to know you. I know it started as a game between us but it very quickly turned into something else for me.’

‘How can I believe anything you say to me?’ Eleanor asked, feeling a tear slowly make its way down her cheek. Traitor, she thought to herself as she angrily swiped it away.

Jasper closed his eyes briefly, unable to watch as Eleanor’s tears began to flow, his quickly following suit. ‘I understand that you don’t trust me. I wouldn’t trust me either if I was in your position but please let me prove myself to you,’ he practically begged.

‘You should be in prison,’ Eleanor spat out, trying to ignore the part of her that was urgently telling her that he was telling the truth.

‘But I’m not,’ Jasper whispered quietly, deciding on a change of track. ‘Which clearly shows that you don’t want to have me arrested.’

‘Not yet! It doesn’t prove anything Jasper, I could have you arrested in a second.’

‘Don’t,’ Jasper pleaded with her, reaching out to lift her chin so that their eyes could meet.

The movement had felt so natural he hadn’t even realised he was doing it until he felt her searing heat almost burn through his hand. ‘Let me prove myself. If you decide after a while that I’m completely untrustworthy or that you don’t want me around then you can have me arrested. Just give me a chance to prove to you how much I love you.’

Eleanor froze at the sound of those three little word leaving his mouth, her heart caught in her throat. ‘What did you just say?’ Eleanor asked in a breathless whisper.

‘I said I love you Eleanor,’ Jasper repeated, ‘I love you so much.’

Eleanor felt her mouth open in amazement, her eyes wide as she stared at the man in front of her. She felt his finger move forward to capture one of her tears and fought the instinctive urge to lean into his gentle palm. No, he cannot be trusted, she repeated to herself, fighting an internal battle that Jasper couldn’t see.

‘Please let me stay and help you and Liam find out the truth about your father’s death. You deserve to know the truth and I’m determined to get it for you,’ Jasper told her. ‘I know I don’t deserve your forgiveness and I’m not asking for it, I’m just asking for the chance to help you.’

Eleanor took a deep breath, trying to hold back a sniffling sob. After a few moments she nodded carefully, removing herself from Jasper’s grip again. ‘Fine,’ she replied, her voice firm even though it was quiet, ‘but you have one chance. If you do anything to hurt anyone I love I swear I will have you imprisoned for the rest of your life.’

Jasper felt himself relax slightly at the news that Eleanor was going to let him stay. Despite everything he felt proud of Eleanor’s strength and her unfailing love for those she cares about. ‘Thank you,’ he whispered, giving her a weak smile. ‘I’m going to do whatever it takes to help you get justice for your father.’

Eleanor nodded, ‘I’m not letting you stay for you, I’m letting you stay for my dad and for the peace Liam will finally get when he knows the truth,’ she told him quietly.

With that Jasper could only nod, understanding too well the pain that Liam was currently suffering from. ‘I’ll get right to work,’ he told her before he took one long, hard look at her standing before him and turned and left her bedroom, closing the doors gently behind him.

As soon as he had gone Eleanor let out long sigh, feeling her shoulders slump as she practically collapsed into her armchair. Her emotions had taken a battering and she needed time to recover. Leaning her head back against the cushioned head rest she let her eyes drift closed. The last thought before she fell asleep was that despite what she’d said she was actually letting Jasper stay for herself. Because even after everything he had done she wasn’t ready to say goodbye.

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own The Royals or any of the characters. Please do not steal this work.  
> Thanks for reading, I'd love to hear your thoughts!


End file.
